


Pulled.

by LachrymoseLake



Category: Twilight Series - All Media Types, Twilight Series - Stephenie Meyer
Genre: F/F, Romantic Soulmates, Short, True Mates
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-27
Updated: 2021-02-19
Packaged: 2021-03-12 15:34:03
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,902
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29012865
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LachrymoseLake/pseuds/LachrymoseLake
Summary: Sometimes the pull is too strong, not even a psychics warning could stop it.
Relationships: Bella Swan/Tanya
Comments: 29
Kudos: 271





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Just a little bit more for you guys, I have maybe two more chapters of this at most.
> 
> Again I'm just trying to get back into writing and Twilight seems to be feeding me, maybe because I tried to watch it for the first time and was so genuinely confused when Alice didn't end up with Bella that I had to stop. Edward is just... yeah let's stick to the ladies, shall we?
> 
> Would love a kudos or comment! bit of human contact would be a great way to start the new year.
> 
> It's been tough for everyone, and if anyone needs to talk my comments are always open to you guys.
> 
> Stay safe!

It was lucky Tanya didn’t have to pack a bag.

“You can’t go, Tanya! Alice-” Tanya rounded on Irina, eyes thunderous.

“Alice is not more important than my mate!” She looped a pair of shoes, joined at the laces, over her shoulders and turned to her family. Kate was lounged on the sofa, playing at being distracted on her phone but Tanya knew by the tilt of her head that she was invested in the conversation. Irina was stood in the doorway, the mere implication that she would bar Tanya’s pursuit of the  _ pull  _ had the coven leader growling. “I’ve let her ward me off for months but  _ now _ I have to go.”

“But-”

  
“No! I won’t be stopped. She needs me, Irina. Don’t you understand? She  _ needs  _ me and I will be there for her, Alice be damned.”

“I agree sister,” Kate spoke up, unfolding from the sofa and slipping her phone away, “The pixie should never have interfered, the bond is sacred.”

“But she did interfere, and for a reason. If we listen to her warnings some times, why not when it  _ is  _ your mate? Tanya what if it goes wrong?” Irina reasoned. Tanya hissed, fists curling and stood statue-still. For a moment, Tanya waivered, the thought of her  _ Bella _ coming to harm waring with the pull that urged her to move. To find her mate, to keep her safe. The tug tightened, like an urgent band around her chest, and she firmed. 

“Then it will go wrong with me there.” It was said with deadly calm, an authority that found its well-worn place on Tanya’s shoulders, “Something is already going wrong, I can  _ feel  _ it, and I have to be there for her.”

Irina sighed, stepping aside from the door and nodding: “Of course, sister. we will be here when you return, hopefully with your Isabella.”

  
  


-o0o-

The land around Tanya faded from ice to snow, faded from snow to forests and forests to flowers until sand swallowed all but the hardiest life and then-

Phoenix was squat, grey and sweltering. Tanya felt her self guided in, the pull gripping her tighter with every step as if no matter how fast she ran the danger was always one step closer to her mate. But if there was one thing Tanya felt as she outraced the wolves of fate, it was determination. She pushed forward, a sparkling flash in the distance to any human’s wandering eye. 

Through blocks and down streets, sharp bends and long stretches until Tanya heard the scream. A shatter of stony flesh and the hiss of vampires. The doors to the studio were open, the street empty. Tanya stepped forward, the building's shadow was cool across her face. The pull was crushing, chocking the dread that bubbled within Tanya at the first scent of blood. She had to move,  _ had to find her. _

She walked into chaos.

The room was destroyed, glass spattered among the sprays of blood. A fire crackled in the corner and the smell of burning dead pressed acrid against Tanya’s nose, souring the floral scent of blood. In a blur, Alice dragged Jasper past her, a black-eyed look of worry cast across Tanya. But none of it held Tanya’s attention. None of it could compare, not to the girl. She was broken and bruised, heart frail and failing. Nothing could hold her attention but her, and Edward, bent double with his teeth in her mate. 

_ In. Her. Mate. _

Tanya roared, the pull snapped.

She wouldn’t stop until the human was in her arms.

  
  


-o0o-

  
  


Bella woke, and wish she hadn’t. Everything ached, every breath was a coil pulled tight across her busted ribs. As if pain and blood were bound together, pulsing through her veins with every steady beat of her heat. Bella tried to blink. It was too bright, eyes gritty and sensitive in the daylight. With a groan, Bella tried to rub the sleep from her eyes, but the groan quickly devolved into a gasp as pain lanced through her arm. In a metaphorical blink, a hand caught Bella’s hand, cradling it through the inch of plaster and easing it back to the mattress. 

“Sh, take it easy, it’s okay. You’re okay.” the voice was feminine, but not high and delicate. It was a voice low and deep, hung with smoke and sweet as honey. It washed over Bella like a balm, her heart fluttering and the ache in her chest subsiding. Forgoing her injured hand, though whether it was because it would hurt, or because the thought of detaching from the owner of that voice was pulled at something in her, Bella didn't know. Regardless, she rubbed the sleep from her eyes and blinked into the brightness.

The room was blurry, shafts of light and shadows making indistinct shapes of what she assumed was furniture. The person sat next to her was an icey gold, a glow against the plain white wall. 

Before Bella could rouse herself, could find the thread of her memories which bound her awareness to the present, the shadows grew deeper. Sleep was a seductive master, his gentle vail slopping over Bella’s mind. The last thing she saw was golden eyes.


	2. Chapter 2

When, like a beaten dog, awareness crawled back to its owner, it was with a lasting loyalty—a golden-eyed promise of reward.

The room was dim, retreating from the sun’s sleepy rays. Bella swallowed, working the thickness from her mouth as she focused on the figure next to her. 

Bella had never seen her before; the vampire sat with a book in hand. Of that, she was sure. She would have remembered meeting her. She was flawless, so flawless that Bella felt her cheeks colour. Bella blinked, and then she was caught: bear entranced by the dripping honey pot. Soft eyes set in a stern face, lips pressed in a shy smile.

If it weren’t so hard to breathe, a continues conscious effort, Bella would probably have forgotten to. As it was, Bella choked on her own spit, ribs protesting as she wrapped her good arm around them, trying to hold them in place. She lay, coughs subsiding, and contemplated the long term health risks involved with opening her eyes.

“Here,” the voice said as a straw brushed over her lip. Bella shivered, both at the voice and the cool flow of water that filled her mouth. It soothed the raw burn in chest, cooling her throat and washing the sleepiness away. As the straw was gently tugged away, Bella cracked an eye. Just one. Just to be safe. 

It was worth the caution. Bella blinked. Blinked again and then once more to make sure the vampire beside her was real.

“Uh, hello?” Bella’s voice sounded as broken as her body felt. She cleared her throat, nervously trying to shimmy herself into a sitting position, eyes flicking to the vampire then skittering away. She was just so… much. Perfect blonde hair with a warm undertone, fair skin and piercing eyes that seemed to sweep over Bella. Trace the outline of her face, pierce through the fragile barrier of her skin to see her very being. It was constant, and it should be unnerving, but unlike with Edward and his shark-eyed curiosity, her look sent a thrill down her spine, fluttering in her stomach. A moment was all it took for butterflies to morph into writhing snakes of embarrassment. She _saw_ Bella, in all her battered, broken and grimy glory. If only she would look away, maybe Bella could scrub the weariness off her face or stumble to a sink-

“Hello,” Bella blushed. No one on this earth should be allowed to make one word sound so… Appealing. It wasn’t actually fair. The fold of dark chocolate, rich and low rolling off a honeyed tongue, wrapped around the simple words and transformed it into a delight. “Do you know where you are, Isabella?”

It was a good question. Bella cast her thoughts back; she remembered a hotel room shared between three, a storm of fear heralded by a phone call and then… the ballet studio. Surrounded by mirrors, the soft click of the tape recorder in the silence. Red eyes and blinding white pain. Pools of blood. Her blood. 

“I-I’m guessing, the hospital?” Bella said, hardly realising she had closed her eyes, lost in the memory, until a cool hand brushed her cheek. Strong fingers cradled her, a thumb caressing the dip of her cheek. Warmth bloomed from the contact, spreading through her cheek. Doe eyes opened, dark lashes fluttering as Bella peered up.

Golden eyes darkened a shade, thumb lingering. Bella couldn’t name the look that crossed the woman’s face, reverential, maybe, captivated, perhaps, or something more profound than that.

“ _ Yes _ ,” the hint of a purr rolled over the word, a hidden meaning that Bella couldn't quite find in dark eyes. It was the smallest emphasis that was quickly blinked away, "you're at the hospital in Phoenix. Your father is on his way up to see you; your mother is looking for a flight back." 

It wasn't until Bella heard the words that she realised the weight that had sat on her shoulders. The relief was tainted with guilt, it lodged itself in her throat, every breath pulling it closer to the surface. 

Charlie. He was okay. But, oh, the things she had said to him, the look on his face: she stared at the thin blanket over her knees, tears hot behind her eyes,

The vampire's hand curled under Bella's chin, nudging the human to look up. One mournful tear broke free, a shining trail left on her cheek.

"He's okay.  _ You're  _ okay. I promise you." In the face of her earnestness, of the smoke-stained lilt that held a devotion that shouldn't belong to Bella, how could a mere human not crumple into the cradle of her assurance?

He was okay.

She was okay.

"Thank you," Bella said, and the vampire slowly let her hand fall, "I just-" She blinked, catching the deeply private and personal description of her guilt on the tip of her tongue, biting down on it to stop it slipping out in front of a stranger. Which raised a good point: "Who… Who are you?" Bella asked. Immediately a discomfort, enforced by disdainful looks and disapproving sighs, overcame Bella and felt herself shrink back, expecting to see pale features take on the hue of offence, yellow eyes harden. Her tongue-tying itself into knots in its whispered haste to apologise. "Oh my God, I'm sorry, that was so rude. You're staying with a complete stranger in a hospital room; I can hardly-"

"No, no, it's okay. That’s a completely reasonable question. Hey, look at me,” And Bella did, at the strong jaw and the kind eyes and the small smile that was tinged with puzzlement, “it’s  _ okay _ ." Bella believed her. Somehow. Then there was a pause, a moment, and puzzled turned cautious. It was only the shift of her gaze, the twitch of a finger, that told Bella the question said in perfect neutrality held an indescribable importance: "You don't know me, do you?" 

Something cried out, screamed in Bella's heart that 'yes! Yes I know, I know you!' But she couldn't. They’d never met. She didn't  _ know, _ even when she felt she should. And with a single shake of her head, she saw a moment of quiet devastation find a home behind perfect eyes.

She never wanted to see that look again.

No matter what.

-o0o-

  
  


The hallway was nowhere near as soothing as Bella's room. Cheap plastic groaned under Tanya’s shifting, sounds of a whole hospital almost drowned out by Renee's animated chattering from within the room. The pull, that familiar tension, was practically playful, now, as if knowing that its tether was so close. It did little to combat the buzzing in her head, the panicky voice crying at her to  _ move, _ telling her that  _ your mate is hurt _ ,  _ is human, protect her! _

But Tanya was a thousand years old, and she was more than one riled instinct. 

Alice appeared and sat down next to her, small hands folded in her lap. There was a moment of silence between them, a stilted tension bubbling up until the silence had to break.

"She doesn't know." Tanya didn't look up from her study of the linoleum wall, her voice coming out toneless and low.

"I know." Alice matched her volume, speaking faster than humans could hear. "She thinks she's meant to be with Edward," Tanya growled, eyes turning to pitch in an instant as she whipped to glare at Alice.

"No."

"They already have a relationship-" Alice tried.

"No!" Tanya stood, spinning to glare down at the tiny psychic. " _ No. _ I will not let him touch her."

"You can't just whisk her away-" but again, Tanya's hiss cracked through the space between them. 

"Not one  _ touch. _ " They glared at each other in silence—emotions writhing between them; anger, exasperation, distrust. Tanya could almost taste it, and distantly thanked the gods that Jasper wasn't here.

There was a final raised exclamation from behind Alice, and then Bella's door opened. In an instant, Tanya had turned against a wall, holding her phone to her ear as she pretended to make a call. Dark eyes hid behind golden hair, and she hoped Renee would ignore her.

"Oh, there you are Alice!" Tanya could imagine Alice’s put-on plastic smile, could hear it in her voice as she spoke to Bella’s mother.

"Good evening Mrs Dwyer! Did you have a good visit with Bella?"

"Yes, yes, it was terrific. I've missed her so much, and it was great just to talk. I thought I'd just pop out to call my husband, maybe head home for the night. Although," and she looked worriedly over her shoulder at the hospital room, shoulders drooping. "Leaving her all alone in this big hospital…" 

Tanya turned further into the wall, phone creaking between her fingers as she struggled not to shatter it. She was old enough, wise enough and smart enough to see the reedy manipulation for what it was. While she didn't have a great role model, even she knew that no mother should be weedling for someone else to stay with their daughter, not after being in a serious 'car accident'. And no parent should be looking for that someone in two strangers. Bella deserved better. Her mate deserved so much better than-

"Don't worry Mrs Dwyer," Alice took Renee's bait, "I'm sure we could stay and keep Bella company -" 

"Great!" The enthusiasm rushed back into Renee's voice, and she clasped her bag to her chest in childish relief. "You're a lifesaver- oh! Quite literally, too." She laughed loudly, Alice joining in with a stilted volley of windchimes. "Right then, take care!"

And she was gone. Sweeping down the hospital hallway like a breeze, or maybe a storm. 

Tanya turned, eyes fixed on the closed door. She could hear the heartbeat thrumming steadily, could almost see the long brown hair and pale skin- perfect despite everything she had been through. Tanya took a step forward, and Alice was there.

"Tanya, wait-"

"I did wait." Tanya bit, "I waited, Alice. You said I had to ignore the bond, and so I did. I trusted you. Now, look where we are." She cast a hand towards the door, "she is hurt because of _you_."

"It would have been worse-" Alice tried, face pleading and hands raised before her.

"Would it, Alice?” Tanya demanded over Alice, “Or were you lying? Were you keeping her to yourself, keeping her for Edward? Allowing his  _ false _ claim simply because you wanted another sister?" She stalked forward until she was an inch from Alice and the young vampire had to crane her neck to look at Tanya. "Look me in the eye and  _ tell me _ it wouldn’t have been better if I had gone to Bella as soon as I felt the pull: if I had come the moment Edward ran to us. Tell me that she wouldn't be better if I had met her in Folks; had left her flowers and courted her. Tell me she wouldn’t have been better with me  _ there. _ "

Alice said nothing, the weight of her guilt dragging her eyes to the floor.

Tanya shook, jaw sharp as struck flint as she clenched her teeth. If Alice had said it,  _ told  _ her she had seen a better way, she might yet have believed her. But no. 

A growl ripped from her chest, egging her forward.  _ No.  _ She was one thousand years old, goddammit. She would not act in anger, not throw a tantrum like an infant, no matter how much she longed to. She was in control. Even as every instinct in her called her to action, to vengeance for the time lost, the damage done,  _ she was in control _ .

And with a deep breath, she was.

"Edward might have been excusable,  _ barely, _ ” Tanya spoke like a blanket of snow over thorns, a cold softness that crumbled at a touch and bared its teeth with ease. _ “ _ He has never felt the bond for himself, doesn't  _ know _ what it means. But you… " she shut her eyes, heartbreak and betrayal making her want to cry. Cry for her mate, cry for the family she was losing, cry for the pain she felt, "I am ashamed to have called you cousin."

"No, Tanya please," Alice lifted a hand as if to touch her and black eyes snapped open, cold in the white hospital light. Alice shivered, reminded that she was just a child compared to Tanya. Barely beginning to walk in life, much less run.

"Bella will come with me, Edward is no longer welcome at Denali and is certainly not welcome near Bella."

"Doesn't Bella get a say?" Alice asked, regrouping, voice edging towards the confident tone that came with knowing the future. "What if she wants to come back to Folks, wants to be with Edward?"

"Some forget, child, the power of mating bond. I do not.” Tanya stepped around Alice, looking beyond at the door. She paused, shoulder to shoulder, and glanced down at Alice from the corner of her eye. “She will come with me, or I will go with her. Regardless, his touch will feel hollow to her. What they had, or might have had, will fade. She is not  _ his, _ and she feels it already.” 

Tanya left Alice in the corridor, slipping through the hospital door without a sound. As the door clicked shut, all worries about the Cullen’s fled, for in the face of her mate’s curious dark eyes nothing else mattered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everybody! Just a quick thank you for all the support on the first chapter! Kudos and Comments are so nice to see. I'm having a lot of fun writing some Tanya/Bella content and might have a few other things out soon.
> 
> If anyone has any suggestions or anything you want to see, lemme know! Would be happy to try and incorporate any scenes in this. 
> 
> Not entirely sure what this will turn out as, maybe a load of scenes spaced throughout their relationship, or maybe a full-blown story? No idea. depends where he muse takes me xD
> 
> Hope everyone has a good day and the comments are always open if anyone needs to talk <3


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> continuation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm British so 'jelly' is the pudding and not the spread! You will be able to gather from the chapter but just thought it would be fun to clarify.
> 
> Anyway, had a moment where I was so uninspired that I didn't write anything, but I'm trying to find my muse again among my other responsibilities. Sorry for the wait! If anyone has any story ideas I'd love to hear them! And feedback is, as always, so lovely.
> 
> Hope you guys have a good rest of your week and stay safe, stay responsible <3

Bella was eating jelly, or at least trying to. The sling held one of her hands captive, and she was left chasing the last of gelatinous pudding around the bowl one-handed. 

If Bella were the philosophical sort, she might equate the fruitless pursuit of the orange flavoured pudding to a metaphor for her growing frustrations. As she was, Bella just wanted to eat it. 

She caught it, balanced it on her spoon, lifted it slowly, watching it doggedly as if she could intimidate the pudding to stay put. She began to lean forward, wincing at the uncomfortable pressure around her ribs and opened her mouth. Just as the spoon reached about halfway-

"Goddamn it!" It fell off. Bella dropped her spoon, resisting the growing urge to throw the offending difficult utensil at the wall. “I wouldn’t even be able to pick it up.” Bella sighed. It was becoming increasingly obvious that having a broken leg was far from optimal for, well, life.

“The poor spoon,” Alice slipped into Bella’s room, face carefully happy and controlled. Bella’s joy at seeing her friend tinged bitter with exasperation. The vampire was always controlled lately, always held back and reserved and, to be blunt, Bella had had enough of whatever bullshit Alice was trying to pull. But it wasn’t as if she could just demand honesty. Sure, it was what friendships were based on, but their friendship wasn't normal. Vampires- there had to be some leeway. There were secrets that she just wouldn't understand. Or so Alice said. Not with words; it was never so overt, but with how she spoke and what she didn't say. Bella wasn't dumb. She just loved them. And love isn't so much blind as enduring. 

“It deserved worse.” Bella scowled, looking fixedly at the dark tv screen hung opposite her bed. Alice always moved in a near dance, footsteps light as if defying gravity itself. Even from her peripherals, Bella could tell something was different today. She walked towards Bella at a shuffle, hands stuffed in designer pockets. 

Bella wanted to look at her, ask her what was wrong, but a small, petulant part of her kept her gaze forward, and mouth closed.

Bella felt the coolness of Alice's body beside her, almost smiled at the awkward pause that stretched on as the vampire seemed to debate between pulling up a chair and simply standing. 

Vampires- utterly ridiculous beings. 

"Can- uh- can I help you... eat?" 

Now that had Bella glancing at Alice. Fancy that, a vampire helping a human eat. It was both amusing and bizarre.

"Uh, sure?" Alice seemed to jump at the chance, picking up the fallen spoon and eyeing the remaining jelly like a general drawing up battle plans, spoon poised before her. A second ticked by, and then another one. Bella couldn't stop her laugh, relaxing back into her bed with a slightly resigned sigh. Looks like she'd be helping Alice hold the olive branch.

"Alice, it isn't going to attack you. Just-" she leant over, grimacing as she contorted to guide Alice's hand towards the bowl "-scoop some up. Not too much, not too little." Bella couldn't help a soft smile at the look of concentration on her best friend's face. Bella would say it was exaggerated if it weren't for the earnest glint in golden eyes.

"What does that even mean? 'Not too much or too little? That doesn't tell me anything at all…" 

Bella opted to stay quiet, waiting for Alice while watching the spectacular over-complication of a simple task that really couldn't have been achieved by anyone other than a vampire.

After what Alice would recount as a Herculean effort, Alice scooped what she deemed neither too little, not too much, onto the spoon and looked to Bella. She held the spoon up as if for inspection.

"Is that okay?" Alice asked, and the genuine concern struck Bella. Not that Alice was often ingenuine, but it wasn't often that she had to ask. Bella understood, of course. If she had psychic abilities, she might forgo asking questions she already knew the answers to as well. But Alice was asking now and was waiting for an answer, and- Bella had no reason to want to cry; it was ridiculous. But goddamn. It had been a lot, the past few days. She probably would have said yes even if Alice had piled the jelly five fingers high, would have embraced all her human inelegance and tried to eat whatever Alice gave her. The food didn't really matter anymore. It was the thought. The undivided attention and concern- it was just a lot. A lot that unfortunately showed in her voice.

"Yeah, uh - thank you, Alice."

“Of course, Bella.” She was delicate and controlled in her movements as she slowly fed Bella. A strangely soft silence grew around them, the conscious effort the vampire was putting into her movements devouring her attention, which allowed Bella to compose herself. It was a rather funny sight, Bella would admit in hindsight: a human struggling to fight back their unseemly emotions while being fed spoonfuls of hospital jelly by a vampire. 

But, as much as Bella loved Alice, she couldn’t help but feel that the cold absence of warmth emanating from her was wrong, somehow. Maybe if the hands were a little bigger, fingers long and slender as they fell to the blanket covering her leg. Maybe if the jaw was a little squarer, or the hair a little blon-

“How are you… _feeling_ , Bella?” The bell-like voice had never rung so softly, though the unidentifiable weight behind it wasn’t anything new to Bella. Honesty, it was always the best policy, at least with future seeing vampires.

“I don’t want to be here, Alice,” Bella admitted through the jelly, wincing as she shifted as if to emphasise the entirely horrible experience that was hospital life.

“Well,” Alice said drily, “you shouldn't have run away from your best friend then.” 

Bella rolled her eyes, a tint of exasperation bleeding back into her even as fondness had her smiling. “I _have_ apologised, you know.”

“No, I know, I'm sorry. I just don't like you being hurt.” Alice whined, flouncing to sit on the edge of the hospital seat.

“I'm not a fan myself, either.” Bella scoffed, awkwardly waving the stiff cast to emphasize herself. Alice hummed agreeably, lifting another spoonful towards Bella. “Have you, uh, seen Edward?”

Alice froze, her expression torn as she thought. Her expression drifted, attention drawn away from Bella’s hospital room. The familiar sight of blurred lips left Bella waiting for some mysterious council to deign her worthy of an answer, it was as frustrating as it was expected. Bella did as Bella had always done; she waited for her vampires to welcome her into the loop. Her patience slowly being overwhelmed by the bubbling of irritation and the sick routineness of it.

“He can't be around the hospital long. He’s gone hunting.”

“Oh.” Bella couldn’t help but feel slightly disappointed, if unsurprised. 

"Yeah,” Alice continued almost absently, looking off through the wall towards the hallway. “very few of us choose to spend time here willingly. It's like…” She seemed to shake herself back to the present, and half grimaced at Bella. “Nevermind.”

“No,” Bella insisted, frowning at the uncomfortable pinch of her friend's mouth, “what is it like?”

For a moment, Bella was sure that Alice wouldn’t say. That she would stick to the trend of withholding and coddling that the Cullens had established early on and stuck to throughout their friendship with Bella. For a moment, caramel eyes looked distant and aloof, and Bella was _sure_ she would be placated. 

Again.

But then-

“I guess... you could compare a hospital to a buffet, is all.”

_“Oh_.” It was a stark reminder that she was _human_ and that she wasn’t told things for a _reason_. The implication was stomach-turning.

Between her deep breaths, Bella saw Alice attention drawn away again, out into the hospital. A conversation or vision or thought, dragging her attention away from Bella. The sweet surprise she had felt at being the centre of the vampire's concern, honest and almost human concern, was now well and truly swallowed by disappointment and nausea. 

“ _Yeah_ , we all have to hunt a lot more to stop ourselves _sampling the menu_ if you will _,”_ Alice murmured glibly, frowning.

“Oh, great, God. Yeah, yeah, _thanks,_ Alice.” She took a deep breath. Alice snapped her head towards her, hand gently squeezed her knee, eyes wide, apologetic and slightly out of their depth. “Um, so, uh. How does Carlisle do it? You know, be here and not…” She mimed something indistinct, which had Alice smirking.

“Practise and age. He's a lot older than most of us.”

Bella felt something spark alive, a curiosity finding its long lost voice and slipping out.

“So… Is he older than, um, Tanya?” Alice’s eyes turned sharp and fixed on Bella, head tilting in consideration. Bella flushed under that look, and she hastened to continue: “Well, I just mean, well, she never seems to have a problem being here! I don't think I've seen her leave for more than an hour at a time.” 

“Hm,” Alice didn’t necessarily seem convinced, a knowing glint making Bella shrink into her bed. “Tanya’s actually quite a bit older than Carlisle.”

Bella blinked.

“ _Older?_ How old?”

Alice chuckled at Bella’s astonishment.

“About three times as old if I remember correctly.” A pause for effect and a cheeky grin, “Which, of course, I _do_.”

Bella didn’t really register the smirked response, thoughts on the sheer ancientness of the very woman who had spent hours at her bedside, reading, thinking and talking softly in the hospital quiet. The person that had held her hand, wiped her tears, never let her be alone: she was _three times older_ than Carlisle. Ancient, unfathomable, incomprehensible Carlisle in all his professionalism and experience. 

The two didn’t _feel_ comparable. 

Certainly, Carlisle didn’t feel the younger. Sure there was empathy in his golden eyes, but nothing that touched the amount of care and concern Bella _knew_ Tanya held within her. The amount that bled from the little looks and touches, the soft voice and steadfast presence. Bella just _knew_ it, and that certainty… it surprised her. It had only been four days. She shouldn’t have any strong opinions on anyone, much less _Edward’s_ _family_. Distant as they were. _Edward’s family._ God, Edward. In four days, it felt like a lifetime. Those last moments in Folks, those last moments with Edward, felt like a different person, a different time...

“Is that … That’s why she's here all the time, then? Because you guys can't manage the hospital for long periods? I mean, I've spent more time with Tanya in the last four days than I have with _Edward_ ... it's just because he has to hunt so much, right? That's, that’s why he's not…” Bella's _'with me’_ was left unsaid, but Alice answered anyway. 

“No, he's not… He's not perfect, Bella.” Alice said slowly, brows scrunching as she frowned at the stark white sheets draped over the narrow bed. The hesitancy was new, especially for Alice. She usually spoke with the kind of sure confidence that ruled the conversation, dominated the present with the cockiness of knowing the future. That tone was part of what made Alice, Alice. And Bella loved her for it. But this was so bizarre, so new that it was one more tug to pull her off balance. The whole conversation, from the moment Alice slipped in the door, had just been… _different._ A different Bella wasn’t sure how to grapple with.

"I know," Bella whispered. And she did know, but that didn’t stop her from wanting him. No one was perfect. She had seen her parent’s marriage fall apart, seen them both for the flawed humans they were. No one was perfect. Sometimes perfect isn't an option, and the only realistic choice is to… settle.

"He isn't even _good_ , most of the time.” Alice continued over Bella. “He has a lot to reconcile within himself about our very _existence_. And I just…” Alice wasn’t looking at Bella, caramel eyes locked on the idle spoon in her grasp. 

If there was one thing Bella had learned about vampires, it was that it was unexpectedly easy to out-wait them. Maybe it was their brains working on a higher level than a human’s that allowed them to process the largest conundrums in a matter of seconds, creating a sort of entitlement that afforded them the expectation that humans would fold and question them on their silence - the refusal to do so leaving them talking first. Or maybe it was simply that they were a little rigid, predicting - with their lifetimes of experience - the flow of the conversation and refusing to deviate. 

Bella doubted that speaking would sway Alice from the train of conversation she had already boarded. Either way, Bella waited, and Alice spoke: 

“Just… we haven't always been the best to you, Bella. I can see that _now_ . I've been made aware of it. And I've… I've been one of the worst because… just, _remember_ you're in high school. Be a teenager, don't try and… I wish I knew what I could say. I wish I…“ The spoon crumpled. Swirling eyes darted to Bella, fixing on her in their pained desperation. The vampire seemed almost frantic, or as frantic as Bella had ever seen her. A protective instinct flared, and Bella learnt forward, wincing, to capture Alice’s fidgeting hand in her uncast one. 

This was all wrong. So wrong. How could Alice think they hadn’t been good to her? How could Alice be the worst? Sure they had issues, but all families did. All families _did…_ right?

Bella opened her mouth to say as much, but the moment she did, Alice’s expression faded, and her eyes fell unfocused. Only for a moment. Just a second, and when Alice came back to herself, it was to avoid Bella’s gaze.

“ _No._ Hey, hey, Alice, look at me. You're… You're not making much _sense_ , just…” And Bella tugged on the unbudgeable hand, weakly demanding the attention of fleeting eyes, “what do you mean you haven't been good to me?” Sombre sweet eyes turned to stare at her, something so sad in them that Bella bit her lip to stop her heartbreaking.

"That's just it, Bella," Alice whispered, flipping her cold hand to cradle Bella’s, "you can't even see it. _I_ don't even see it, half the time." Again, Alice seemed to slip away, lost in herself and leaving Bella without answers. 

But no. Not after everything that had happened, not after _everything._ She couldn’t be alone again. She couldn’t just let Alice… _do this._

"Don't see _what_?" Bella was a note away from snapping, worry and frustration sharpening her words.

“I just, Bella, I want to do right by you. You’re my best friend. I want you to be _happy,_ and…” Her inhuman voice wavered, “I just want you to be happy, _whatever_ that means. And it might not look how you expect,” Here a flicker of a smile on pale lips, “but it's coming, and you'll be so _happy_ , Bella. I _know_ you will be.” There was an earnestness clinging to her words, as if Alice were trying to convince herself as well as Bella. It was only confused Bella further, casting the rollercoaster of the conversation spinning around her head. 

“Sometimes,” Bella started slowly, “I wish my best friend weren't a cryptic psychic vampire. It makes conversations so complicated.” With a huff, Bella crossed her arms and slumped back. She could feel a headache starting to knock behind her eyes.

Alice laughed, the tension crumbling in the room as she settled back into the bedside chair, mussing her hair as if shaking off the weight from the conversation and mustering her usual levity.

“I’m afraid very few people will understand your woes, Bells. It’s not often we find ourselves a human; you’re rather special in that regard.” Bella looked pointedly away from Alice’s fond expression, trying to dampen her smile.

“Still, I might start a support group, make some banners. I’ve been away from the glitter glue too long. Plus, it will be a very injury friendly pastime.” Again she waved her broken arm as if the vampire in the room would be the one to forget. Alice just smiled, expression slipping away just as Bella continued with: “But really Alice-”

“I can't say.” The vampire cut her off, voice apologetic but expression firmly in the now. “It isn't mine to-” 

“Alice.” Bella started imploringly 

“I'm sorry, Bella.” The helplessness was almost enough to temper the swell of emotion that threatened to cool from the hot magma that flashed and burned in irritation into a solid rock resignation on her chest. There was just always something. Always some rule or person or situation that limited what Bella was _allowed_ to know. And maybe that was okay. Maybe it was fine. And normal. And just what families were like. Maybe. But the last time there was something in Alice’s visions, Bella had to flee Folks, had to break her father's heart, had to run headlong into James’ trap. The experience, had overall, tempered her willingness to just… follow. 

But then she was gone, pained eyes disappeared through the window the moment a white coat flashed in the doorway.

And this time, Bella couldn’t follow even if she wanted to.

  
  


-o0o-

  
  


The nurses slowly detached Bella from the monitors. After a stable day and no complications, all Bella would need was rest and pain relief. 

Tanya stood like a shadow in the corner, watching every pass of the nurse’s hands over her mate, every flinch. She wouldn’t enact revenge for the discomfort that radiated from her Isabella, that would be petty, but it didn’t mean she wouldn’t glare at them with the single-minded attention that comes with centuries of idle time.

It was only when the nurses left, edging past Tanya with a subconscious wariness, did the coven leader let herself relax. She flashed to the chair she had unofficially claimed as her own, tucking one leg under herself and giving Bella yet another concerned once over.

Bella jumped, clapping one hand to her chest as she glared at Tanya with wide, betrayed eyes.

"I thought you said you would stop _doing that_." She breathed sharply.

Tanya grinned, propping her chin on her fist as she answered: "No, you said I'd stop doing that. I agreed to nothing of the sort." 

Bella rolled her eyes, settling back into the thin mattress.

"Well, it's just common decency when in the presence of a mere _human_ to move like a human." She mumbled, absently scratching at the plaster on the back of her hand where the IV had been.

"Trust me," Tanya grinned, sharp teeth glinting, "there's nothing common or _decent_ about me." But the flirtation faded, concern and the urge to _protect_ quickly overshadowing it as her human irritated her sensitive skin. Tanya could smell the traces of blood that had seeped into the plaster, could smell the fresh specks Bella was absentmindedly summoning. 

Tanya slowly, dramatically slow just to prove a point to her human, reached out and took Bella’s hand, cradling the warm skin in her gentle grip. Bella sighed, focusing on their point of contact. At the cool brush of Tanya’s thumb, she breathed, almost in surprise, eyes fluttering: "Hm, that… that feels nice."

If Tanya were bolder, if they had known each other longer and properly _known_ each other, Tanya would have verbally agreed. Because It did. it felt so good to hold Bella's hand in her own, to feel the life and vitality beating as proof of her strength under fragile skin. Skin to skin, the pull was barely anything at all. Because Tanya was here now, holding her mate and abe to protect her. The instinct was so nearly sated and it did feel _nice._ If Bella knew; knew everything including who Tanya was - her past, present and hopeful future - then Tanya would have simply agreed with Bella and so much more. 

But not yet. 

"Good." Tanya purred instead, but it wasn't suggestive or provocative. No, this came from a deep instinctual place that rejoiced in the chance to offer comfort and solace to her mate's pain. That longed to take the pain from her mate so she would never have to feel it again. "How are you feeling? Can I get you anything?"

As Bella opened her mouth, the door clicked, and Carlisle strolled in, followed by two of his ‘children’. Tanya’s mood plummeted, spine stiffening as the animal part of her prepared to defend her mate from the threat of other vampires.

“She’s _fine,”_ Edward growled, eyes glued to where Tanya and Bella touched. Tanya didn’t know what to be more frustrated at, the fact that Edward slinked immediately to Bella’s bedside and placed one hand possessively on Bella’s shoulder without even _looking_ at her, or that Bella glanced up with doe-eyes and a hopeful smile, like a kicked animal scrounging for scraps of affection.

No. No she definitely knew which one positively _enraged_ her. And she couldn't do much about it. Nothing that would be human-friendly at least, and certainly not in the hospital. Afterall, ripping off Edward's arm would probably cause more secondhand damage to the building than it was worth.

Edward hissed, glaring.

_Get out of my head._ Tanya thought, growling back before she caught herself. She didn't _have_ to stoop to his level. Bella was hers.

Edward tensed, positively vibrating behind black eyes. 

“Then she can tell me _herself_.” Tanya retorted calmly, threat imperceptible to the human ear but loud enough for the other vampires to tense. Alice pursed her lips, lingering behind Carlisle as her gaze shimmered between present and future before finally settling in the now and slowly slipping to sit on the foot of the hospital bed. Bella shot her look, then glanced to Tanya, about to speak again when-

“Of course she can, Tanya,” Carlisle spoke up, looking between his first-turned and Tanya and drawing all attention to himself. He looked at Bella, pale eyebrow raised. “Would it be okay if I looked at your chart, Bella?” He asked, already holding it but waiting for permission. 

It was the wilt in Bella’s posture that had Tanya’s instincts thrumming, eyes tinting amber. It was the example of the treatment that had conditioned Bella, _her mate,_ to back off and speak less and turn the other cheek that had Tanya dropping Bella’s hand so her own could fist against her knees.

Because _gods._ It was hard not to hit someone.

The wounded look Bella sent her almost had Tanya apologising and fumbling to re-take her human’s hand. But she couldn’t, not right now. Human bones were _fragile,_ and the roaring of emotions in her chest didn’t have the capacity to be gentle, not with the Cullens so near. Instead, she glared at Edward, glared at Alice, glared at Carlisle. If anyone else were there, she would have glared at them too. It was a pitiful supplement for the rage some not-so-small part of her wanted to unleash. 

“Yeah, of course, Carlisle,” Bella mumbled, sending him a look. But her human wasn't so easily distracted, she glanced around the room with a furrowed brow, eyes intense as they tried to decipher the peculiar tension that thrummed between the vampires. But she came back finally, firmly, to Tanya. As much as the self-assured, confident part of her knew that Bella would choose her, Tanya couldn’t help glowing under Bella’s attention. Edward’s vicious growl, black eyes glaring from behind Bella, was simply perfection in the moment.

Despite delighting in her mate’s attention, she couldn’t offer the same courtosy, gaze defensive and obsessive in its rapid search for a threat. Tanya felt cornered, pressed in by a threat that prickled under her skin had the pull constricting around her. It drew her back to Bella every other millisecond unable not to check, to see, to _admire_ for more than that. The ancient vampire found solace in the momentary reprieve and comfort of soft brown eyes, like an oasis when attacked by the sun's painful barbs.

It didn’t take long for Carlisle to flip through Bella's notes, humming to himself before hanging it back at the end of her bed.

“Everything looks okay. The doctors are taking good care of you, Bella. They'll probably release you to return to Folks in a matter of days." He smiled at Bella before looking, eyes tightening, at Tanya. "Would you step aside with me, Tanya?” He nodded at the other vampires, “I’m sure Bella wouldn’t mind spending some time with Edward and Alice." He said it so casually as if just a friendly assurance, but Tanya bristled even as she stood. Of course, it had occurred to the good doctor that Bella wouldn’t be the one that minded. Not yet at least.

Indignance firmed in Tanya, and she paused to address her mate.

"Is that okay, Bella?" She knew it wasn’t really necessary to ask, perhaps even odd considering how little Bella knew her, but she was determined to hear her mate speak. It was important, _dammit._ It was her room, her mate - even if she didn’t know it - and she had to have a say.

"We'll be fine," Edward muttered, voice tightly controlled as he edged closed to Bella. His eyes darkened. Tanya didn't look away from Bella, saw the flicker of her mate's acceptance as Edward spoke for her, but didn't look away. Partly because she didn't trust for a second that Edward was in control, but mostly because she had a point to prove, now. Both to the Cullens and _Bella_. If she had to wait for an hour before Bella felt spoke for herself, then she would. She was a thousand years old and had a lot of practice with patience. 

Fortunately she only had to wait until brown eyes met hers, pleased and puzzled, before quirking her lips in a small smile and prompting softly: "Bella, is that okay?"

The surprise was sad. It was wrong. And it did _not_ belong in her mate’s eyes.

"O-oh, yeah, it's fine."

Alice looked up from the bleached sheets, her expression conflicted as she glanced between Edward and Tanya. She only seemed to settle when they fell to Bella, resolving in a determination Tanya hadn't seen before. After a moment, Edward forced himself to perch on the edge of the bed, one arm curling like iron bars around Bella's shoulders. She looked up at him, and Tanya felt a small hopeless part of her, one that doubted the bond, doubted herself, crack at the look of happiness that alighted in brown eyes. If only she had watched a moment longer, if only she had seen the falter in Bella, or the resigned joy in Alice, or even the dark and dangerous look Edward sent first Alice, and then her. But she didn't. Tanya turned and slipped away from the mundane conversation Alice had quickly initiated. 

Carlisle had positioned himself by the door, hand passively on the handle as if they were going to leave. As _if_ Tanya would ever leave Bella with two vampires at her bedside. As if she would ever let Bella see the door close behind her as she was left, even if Bella wasn’t looking, didn’t care yet, Tanya could never leave.

But Carlisle’s assumption that she would… 

Well...

Tanya had a creeping feeling that the impending conversation with the younger coven leader would not be a pleasant one. 

She _had_ held hope, the smallest thing born from decades of friendship, that Carlisle might be reasonable, would understand that she wasn’t in the wrong for following the pull. That he would understand that his ‘children’ had gone against the primal rules that governed all vampires through their existence. Hoped that maybe he would even be on her side, would stand against Edward and his ridiculous claims. But his assumption that she could abandon her mate, the assumption that what she felt was fictitious… Tanya understood that venom might just be thicker than friendship.

“Tanya.” The doctor greeted quietly, opening the door and gesturing out. “Shall we?” 

It was a test. Of course, it was a test. Tanya only sighed, looking at Carlisle with darkened, upset eyes.

" _Carlisle_ ," Tanya reached around him for the door, pushing it closed, “You know I can’t do that.”

“No,” Carlisle said slowly, a peculiar, calculating look shining in pale eyes. It was the look of a scientist, and Tanya bristled at the idea that she was the lab rat, “I suppose you can’t.”


End file.
